The man, “well known to the police for narcotics cases”, was shot dead by several 9 mm automatic pistol bullets while driving, near the city of Félix-Pyat (3rd arrondissement of Marseille) .
On site, rue Félix Pyat, in the 3rd arrondissement of Marseille, the atmosphere is “very tense”, explains Rabah Aït-Hamadouche.
An investigative journalist and a reporter for Electron libre productions, he arrived at the scene around 10:30 p.m. shortly after the gunfire.
The journalist has been following the Marseille municipal police for several weeks in immersion for a report.
“We were following a night brigade, with my fellow director Olivier Azpitarte. We had dealt with a story of brawl between migrants right next door when the emergency call diverted us”, he explains.
They are the second police vehicle to arrive on the scene. “A crowd movement was created. The atmosphere was electric” he says.
Quickly, the municipal police teams lock the area, while the judicial police carry out their first surveys.
“The mines are undone, we feel that it can degenerate at any time”
What struck the journalist the most were “the cries of the families”, especially the wife and women of the victim’s family. In tears at the start, they explode at the announcement of his death.
“The sound is so loud at the time that nobody dares to filmSays Rabah. The mines are defeated. We feel that it can degenerate at any time … “
High voltage survey
With Olivier, the director, they stay there until late at night.
“We took information with the Prefect of Police, then we saw the body van and the pound arrive. The important thing is to cross-check the information. We know little about the moment, there are several versions” , details the journalist.
Around 3 am, the reporters return to their homes. They will continue their immersion for at least another month and a half. Their investigation under high voltage should be visible at the start of the new season on the C8 chain.
This is the seventh account settlement of the year in Bouches-du-Rhône, the sixth in Marseille, and one in Arles, for a total of seven dead.
“Obviously we are in this context of settling of accounts. We will have to wait a bit for verifications to be certain”, confirmed Emmanuel Barbe, Prefect of police of Bouches-du-Rhône, who went there last night.
The previous settlement of accounts had taken place overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, in the city of Frais-Vallon, in the 13th arrondissement.
A 19-year-old man had been slaughtered at the Kalashnikov, also driving a car, his 22-year-old passenger was seriously injured.
Is there a link between these two events? “It’s hard to imagine links”, specifies the Prefect of police.
The deconfinement effect on a city war background
Stopped during confinement, the settling of scores or cases of violence between rival bands, experienced a boost last month.
According to the police headquarters, “the fight against narco-banditry networks destabilizes the gangs in place (…) and “can generate new rivalries, territorial wars and blood feuds”.
The deconfinement may have acted as a catalyst for these assassinations.
“It is certain that there is a form of imbalance around the points of sale of narcotics in the current context of health crisis”, adds Emmanuel Barbe, “even if you have to be careful”.
There were quite a few people on the street at the time. (…) This is unacceptable.
The judicial police are responsible for the investigation with “very important means deployed to arrest the perpetrators of these crimes”, specifies the Prefect of police.
He insists not to trivialize these assassinations. “There were quite a few people on the street at the time. Can you imagine, are you a walker or do you live in these neighborhoods? It is unacceptable. The term account settlement allows us to understand in what context the assassination has taken place. But it is important to remain shocked and outraged by such facts … “
Last week, six people arrested in Marseille by police when they planned to commit at least one settling of scores. They have been indicted. Five were imprisoned. The sixth was placed under judicial supervision.
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